We’re less than a month away for the proposed reopening of Disneyland. With so much still left to accomplish, we’re wondering what that reopening could look like. . . if it happens as scheduled at all. In an interesting development, Disneyland’s unions are asking California’s Governor to push back the Resort’s proposed reopening in the interest of keeping the workers safe. And it looks like Universal Hollywood’s unions are taking a similar path. There are many changes coming to Walt Disney World operations that we’re interested to see if they’ll carry over to Disneyland as well. Let’s see what’s new in the wild world of Disney this week.
Disneyland Reopening Delays?
There were bound to be road bumps on the path to reopening in these extraordinary times. Disneyland executives had their heart attack moment last week when a coalition of Disney unions sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom asking for a delay in Disneyland’s reopening plans due to concerns about the safety of workers.
It’s possible that the Governor’s team is weighing the unions’ concerns seriously, as Downtown Disney and two Disneyland Resort hotels have been given the go-ahead to reopen, but the theme parks themselves have not yet been approved.
Meanwhile, some full-time cast and managers have received calls in the last few days notifying them that their furloughs are ending and they are being called back to work. One of their main tasks will be to create lists of employees who will be scheduled for park reopening activities. The union was caught off guard by the callbacks and notified members that they are concerned about Disney’s lack of transparency and want to make sure that Disney calls workers back under seniority agreements. Disney seems to have been negotiating on good faith for the most part, so we do expect the unions and Disney to come to an agreement:
And it’s not just Disney with worries. Universal Studios Hollywood’s optimistic July 4th weekend reopening aspirations seem to be off the table for now. Although Universal has been calling back more of their theme park staff in preparation for an early July opening, their actors union, AGVA, sent a message to members stating that the park does NOT have approval to reopen.
The Universal unions sent a letter to LA County Department of Public Health advising the county of bargaining efforts with Universal regarding the safety of theme park employees. Here’s how the county responded:
“As you know, the reopening of theme parks is currently prohibited by the state health officer order and we would need a change in the state order for the County to move forward with re-openings in this sector.”
It’s looking like both Universal and Disney will be awaiting a mandate from the state before they can continue their reopening plans, and the unions aren’t likely to recommend that the state allow the reopening of the parks until they receive assurances that health and safety measures are adequate for the protection of their members.
Theme Park Reservations
Since Walt Disney World’s initial announcement of requiring a reservation to visit their theme parks, Disney fans have been wondering how it will work. Starting today, the first phase of reservations are available to book. Guests staying on WDW property (with valid resort admission) were supposed to be able to book reservations for their visit starting at 7am EST today (June 22nd). Unfortunately, Disney’s website suffered endless page errors and “We’re working on it” notices. Annual Passholders without hotel reservations can begin booking on June 26, and those with other valid admission media can start booking on June 28. You can book dates through September 26, 2021, on the new reservation system.
The changes to park operations are many. But some of the biggest impacts will be in how guests access the parks. Park-hopping has been temporarily suspended. Guests can only make one reservation for the WDW parks per day. Folks will really have to think about their schedules since they won’t be able to change parks mid day. To make things a bit more difficult, valid admission AND a theme park reservation will be required to book dining reservations. So, getting that theme park reservation is key to planning the rest of your vacation. And, as we have mentioned before, FastPass has been disabled for now. It will be a bit like going back in time if you visit the parks in July.
Walt Disney World is also about to put an end to free Magic Bands. Guests staying at WDW resorts will no longer be offered free bands once new functionality is added to the My Disney Experience app. The app will gain contactless payment options, the ability to use the app as a door key, and scan into attractions all with your phone. With smartphones becoming the standard for most guests, and with the huge expense of the Magic Bands, this change was a long time coming. Guests will still be able to buy bands (and discounted versions for hotel guests).
Disneyland’s new FastPass scanners were built with RFID technology, just like their WDW counterparts, so we fully expect the new app features to roll out at Disneyland as well at some point.
For more info about the changes, be sure to read the article below.
BREAKING NEWS: Walt Disney World Park Reservation Info & End of Free Magic Bands!
Magical Meltdown
It was a frustrating morning of errors and confusion for folks trying to book a theme park reservation at Walt Disney World. In order to make a reservation, you needed a Disney World hotel reservation and a valid admission ticket both linked to your MyDisneyExperience account.
The page was supposed to take you to a booking site to schedule theme park access for your vacation. Unfortunately, most folks just saw an image of Stitch eating the page or the Seven Dwarfs, with a “We’re working on it” message. Then the folks who did manage to get onto the site were logged out and started seeing a “Just a moment” message. After 90 minutes, our own computer was still on the “Just a moment screen.” Others reached a page with a countdown clock which starts at 15 minutes, but takes up to an hour to count down to 0, where you remain at 0 indefinitely.
Some users are reporting that they do eventually get through, but it’s important not to refresh your browser, even if the site eventually takes you to what appears to be a blank page. What a horrible way to start a vacation. VERY poor implementation by Disney on this one.
And all of this was JUST for folks with hotel and admission already booked. Imagine what will happen when Disneyland and Disney World passholders have their chance to book a park reservation?!
Downtown Disney Reopening Info
Disneyland Resort is ramping up for the reopening of Downtown Disney on July 9th. Unlike Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, which reopened without most of the Disney-owned establishments in operation, Downtown Disney will feature the reopening of World of Disney.
Like other Disney properties, Downtown Disney will require face coverings to be worn by guests and staff. Additional safety measures, such as temperature screenings and social distancing will also be mandatory.
Guests will be directed to park in the Simba lot, which is located behind the Paradise Pier Hotel. Downtown Disney will be open from 10am until 8pm, but some locations will keep different hours.
WDW Passholder Updates
A few hours after announcing the dates to reserve theme park access, there was another announcement that WDW annual passholders would be getting a special preview a few days before the official opening (on July 9th and 10th). And there’s also talk of Cast Members having previews of their own the two days before the passholders (on July 7th and 8th)!
There has been an update to the Annual Passholder Know Before You Go landing page on the WDW site that has many folks upset. There are two options that passholders can choose from in regards to how they want to handle their theme park admission.
- Whether WDW Passholders have paid in full or are part of the monthly payment program, a free month will be added. This additional month will be visible within passholder accounts in October of this year.
- OR WDW Passholders have the option to cancel their annual pass and receive a partial refund.
So, even though it will be VERY hard for passholders to make a park reservation in the coming months, they are only being given an option for one free month or canceling. Yikes, no wonder folks are upset.
For more info about these changes, take a look at the article below.
Disney World Attractions Update & Free Month for Annual Passholders
All these painful WDW changes have us worried here in California. Disneyland is primarily a locals park with a huge passholders base that Disney has grown over the years. With severely limited park capacity, it’s unclear how Disney will be able to come even close to granting the park access that passholders have paid for without significant changes to the program.
First-Ever Hybrid Festival at WDW
WDW closed right at the beginning of EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival. There was no information about what would happen to the fan-favorite festival after the park reopened. Luckily for Flower & Garden lovers, there was an announcement that EPCOT will be opening with a combination Flower & Garden/Food & Wine Festival. And the festival will be the longest in EPCOT history!
With EPCOT’s announcement of a modified seasonal festival, we’re curious about the fate of DCA’s Food & Wine Festival. The festival had only just opened before the unexpected park closures. As of a few weeks ago, the food booths were still placed along the parade route. Additionally, the permits for the festival were given an extension through September a few months ago. However, we’ve heard that the booths are in the process of being carted back to storage. But we’d love to have some sort of festival for DCA as well. What about you?
BREAKING NEWS: Walt Disney World’s Halloween Parties Cancelled, Modified Food & Wine Festival
Halloween Hangups
Last week Walt Disney World announced the cancellation of Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party that was scheduled to take place this fall.
The after-hours Halloween extravaganza featured holiday-themed character meet and greets, a holiday-edition firework show, a popular parade, trick-or-treating, and several other Halloween-based shows and activities. Due to social distancing and other safety concerns, it is no surprise this event has been canceled for 2020.
Disneyland has not announced a cancellation of their scheduled Halloween party event at Disney California Adventure yet, but we would not be surprised if Oogie Boogie’s Halloween Party met the same fate as Mickey’s party in Florida.
For more information about the cancelation, be sure to check out the article below:
BREAKING NEWS: Walt Disney World’s Halloween Parties Cancelled, Modified Food & Wine Festival
You’re Going To Disneyland!
We’re less than a month away from the planned July 17 reopening of Disneyland. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been craving some of my favorite Disney rides like Soarin’ (I hope it’s still Soarin’ Over California when it reopens!) and Space Mountain. This week, we asked our MiceChat Facebook group what attraction is the first they can’t wait to ride once they return to the park. They flooded us with all sorts of different answers, like riding the Disneyland Railroad, the new Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and many more. Here’s what the MiceChatters are looking forward to, we look forward to your own thoughts below:
The Mark Twain Riverboat sure is an idyllic way to soak in Disneyland’s sights and sounds.
According to our readers, their two most-missed attractions are a Disneyland classic and a new favorite: Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Enjoy a few shots of the swashbuckling adventure cruise!
And just around the corner from Pirates is another popular contender, the Haunted Mansion.
And for those feeling a bit nostalgic, heading to Fantasyland may be the perfect place to pick up your Disneyland relationship right where you left off.
For thrill-seekers, Space Mountain is definitely a must.
And for the Star Wars fans, Galaxy’s Edge is calling your name. You’ve got your pick of the Millennium Falcon or Rise of the Resistance (the other most popular 1st choice attraction when the park reopens), or even do a little drinking at Oga’s Cantina.
Across the way at Disney California Adventure, Radiator Springs Racers is another great choice for a first attraction back.
And who wouldn’t want to take a spin on the Incredicoaster, the only looping coaster at the Disneyland Resort?
Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo this week! We’re fast approaching the reopening date of Disneyland, and we’re all looking forward to returning to our happy place next month. To see more photos from our readers and join the MiceChat community, be sure to check out the MiceChat Facebook group.
Disneyland’s New Safety Signage, Starring The Incredibles
Signs of Disneyland’s reopening are starting to appear, including actual sign designs! The new safety campaign revealed on the Disney Parks Blog this week highlighted some of the new guidelines which will be required at the Disney Parks and Resorts. With art featuring Pixar’s The Incredibles, the signs are designed as a kid-friendly way to introduce the new policies and procedures.
While they are fun to look at, these new signs do have some flaws. The first is that the signs provide little information for the guideline they highlight. We see the character and a phrase in addition to the slogan, “Together We Can Make Today Incredible.” That’s it —no additional comments. Mrs. Incredible’s sign is seen above that says to maintain proper distance but does not state what the recommended distance is. And the use of Dash on one of the signs just doesn’t make sense at all. You are encouraged to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, but Dash is the quick Incredible. Using a hero known for speed to convey this message is confusing.
Finally, the most important sign asks guests to wear face coverings. Edna Mode is reminding visitors to “cover up,” but isn’t wearing a covering of her own. Sure, having an iconic character wearing a mask might impede her recognition, but it counteracts the very message she’s promoting.
In addition to the actions directed on the signs, Disney has plans for other safety measures:
- Reducing theme park capacity
- Temperature checks for guests prior to entering theme parks
- Increasing cleaning and disinfecting, especially in high-traffic areas
- Adjusting experiences to accommodate physical distancing
- Requiring face coverings for guests 2 and older
- Giving guests options for contactless payment
- Providing easy access to hand-washing and hand sanitizer locations
You can see the rest of The Incredibles posters along with a letter from Dr. Pamela Hymel, Disney’s Chief Medical Officer, over here:
Disneyland Unveils Cute Safety Signage and Updated Guidelines for Theme Park Reopenings
Make Future Magic
Theme parks are reopening, and there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. Special comeback rates are now available at some of your favorite theme park hotels.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park booking and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available:
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Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Disneyland Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.
Give your family something to look forward to:
Visit Get Away Today HERE Or fill out a request form and they’ll call you back: Vacation Information Request Form HERE
Let’s Hear From You
Wow, that was a lot of ground to cover this week! There’s still so much uncertainty with theme park reopenings. They can go well, like our trip to Universal Orlando’s opening, or not so well, like our trip to the San Diego Safari Park. With unions actively advocating for worker safety, we’re interested in how the theme parks will respond. What are your thoughts on unions appealing to local and state governments for a delay in theme park openings? And what do you think Disneyland should do about annual passes? If park access remains far below passholder demand, should they simply be suspended indefinitely? Or should passholders be offered one additional month for free or the option to cancel, as WDW is doing? Having experienced the new theme park reservation system early this morning, expect general chaos when passholders get a crack at the system on the 26th. How likely do you think it is that Halloween parties will be canceled at DCA? And would you want to see the Food & Wine Festival extended into fall as they are doing in Florida? Let us know in the comments below.